This past weekend, Venice Theatre shared its gifts through the Early Learning Coalition’s Storybook Street at Ed Smith Stadium. Families went home with 20 different picture books. We were proud to bring The Color Monster by Anna Llenas to life with the help of our production team and volunteers, and about 20 volunteers from The Venice Suncoast & Wellen Park Rotary Clubs, which are our 2024-2025 Troupe In a Trunk Sponsors.
Venice Suncoast Rotary Club President, Jake Lasorso, shared his enthusiasm during a Saturday painting session the previous week: “Gary, Linda, Don, Cindy, John, Sandy, Rose, Mallory, Kris, and all of us are all here to support the vision of rebuilding and getting Venice Theatre back up and running and continue to support it however we can. Troupe in a Trunk is a project that we’ve supported for many years because it is so involved with the youth in this area and gives them extracurricular opportunities. Being teachers ourselves, with our own children who will soon be old enough to experience Troupe in a Trunk, we think it is important.”
Early Learning Coalition volunteers gave out about 400 bags and books to more than 400 families, or around 1,200 people. A wonderful group of seven volunteers from Troupe In A Trunk (Rita Williams, Rita Mazer, Dawn Carpenter, Marilyn Barton, Debbi O’Neill, Henry Reisinger Jr., and Jennie Reisinger) kept the energy going the entire event with a fun cornhole game that related to The Color Monster.